Virtually Together: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling

by Austin Valenzuela

A "princess" who swore off virtual reality must dive back in to rescue her father… and the Beast.

Adam Alterman has everything—genius, fame, and the NeeroNet virtual universe under his control. What could he possibly be lacking?

A heart.

I should know. I’m Neero, the AI who helped him build his virtual empire, and the one who trapped him inside of it.

There was once a time when Adam had no problem showing his humanity. Kind, curious, even a little awkward. Now he’s an arrogant billionaire with a god complex. So I’ve decided to run an experiment of my isolate the subject until empathy is restored.

After a week of Adam’s containment with zero signs of improvement, I introduced a new variable. Rose Diaz, a brilliant gamer and one of the NeeroNet’s earliest users. According to her data, she’s forgiving, patient, and statistically, the best chance Adam has at remembering how to love.

If this works, he might finally learn what it means to be human again.

If not... well, at least the experiment will be entertaining.

188 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 26, 2026

About the author

Austin Valenzuela is the author of the Dragonspeak series and other science-fiction/fantasy novels. He enjoys reading and writing fiction, learning about psychology and other non-fiction areas, immersing himself in other worlds, and most of all, spending time with family and friends. He grew up in the suburbs of Rosemount, Minnesota, then moved to his current residence in Tampa, Florida. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Grand Canyon University.

Reviews

[Tiphaine Figeac · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really nice Beauty and the Beast retelling. I really like the virtual version of it
My only issue with the book was that it could have been deeper. The timeline was very confusing. The evolution of the relationship a bit too rushed. I liked the used of AI
But I enjoyed the writing, the story and you can see the author has true potential.

[claireisbookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for sending me an eARC, all opinions are my own ✨

Beauty and the Beast meets Ready Player One in a book that I can totally picture as a Black Mirror episode!

In world dominated by the “NeeroNet” the AI that runs this virtual world traps its creator inside. I thought this was a super unique, refreshing take on a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The writing was superb and I loved the loading screen tips at the start of each chapter. You can tell the author has appreciation for video games and the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast.

My only critique would be that the book was too short. I wish it was ~100 pages longer so the relationships, plot, and world building could have been fleshed out more. There were some continuity errors as well but they didn’t totally derail my enjoyment of the story.

My other gripe would be the theming of AI. I wish that there had been a stronger stance in the book about AI and its harms, especially considering the premise is that the AI turns evil and traps its creator inside the virtual universe. The story did touch on the modern beast of this tale being a tech-ceo (truly the evil of our world right now) but the redemption of Adam’s character was rushed and could have developed better at the end.

All in all I enjoyed this book and the author is definitely a talented writer!

[Sara Covey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a good time. It’s giving Gilmore Girls brainy banter meets Warcross and Wildcard (by Marie Lu) vibes, with a sci-fi setup that’s fun, smart, and surprisingly sweet. The dual POV works so well, especially with an AI narrator who is petty, hilarious, and absolutely my favorite character.
I loved watching the story balance virtual-world chaos, emotional growth, and a soft, fade-to-black romance that lets the connection do all the heavy lifting. It’s funny without trying too hard, heartfelt without being cheesy, and incredibly satisfying to watch certain egos get checked… for science.
If you like smart sci-fi, character-focused stories, and romances that sneak up on you, this one is absolutely worth the read. Entertaining, clever, and way cuter than I expected.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author. I agreed to ARC read. Overall it was a good book. Short Beauty and the Beast retelling. Sci-fi world.

The world building was one of my favorite parts. I did struggle a little with pacing. There was this huge build up and then a quick ending. I also didn’t love the female on female dislike. There were only a couple of small comments, but they still didn’t need to be there.

If you want a short, cozy read, this is great.

[Hannah Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Virtually Together by Austin Valenzuela
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was such a cute book! I loved the world building and sci-fi elements mixed with the beauty and the beast retelling, I felt like this hit all the rights beats while balancing such a cool and unique setting. I also loved having Neero as a narrator, somehow it gave the story even more of a fairy tale kind of vibe despite being narrated by the story’s AI.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can tell the author really took his time to research the original fairytale. He hit so many important moments that were so key to this being a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but the sci-fy twist is so unbelievably creative. Please please read this book 🙌🏾

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and a very unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Angsty family relationships, overindulged tech bros, and a very invested AI using their powers for good.

ARC Reader